Canada Retail Sales Rise

Canadian retail sales rose 0.7% in March compared with an expected increase of 0.4% while there was an increase of 6.9% over the year as the February decline was revised to 0.4% from 0.6%, Economic Calendar reported. On a volume basis, sales increased 1.2% on the month with a 5.3% annual advance. Underlying sales declined 0.2% on the month with a 5.7% annual increase. Sales increased in six of the 11 sub-sectors on the month. There was a robust 3.2% increase in motor vehicle sales to give a 10.2% annual increase. There was also a strong 3.1% increase in electronics sales to give a 11.2% annual gain.